Rotor radar system
Radar Type 7 GCI radar
The Type 7 was a metric radar operating in the 1.5 metre wave band used for Ground Control Interception (GCI). The usual operating frequency was 209 MHz, though later equipments operated on 193 and 200 MHz.
This
was a parallel development of the Chain Home Low (CHL) equipment by the addition
of a height-finding capability and a Plan Position Indicator (PPI) display.
Early stations from 1940 were mobile. There were transportable and fixed versions of the final Type 7 equipment which appeared in 1942. The fixed stations comprised an Operations Building, a Radar Well and an Aerial mounted over the Radar Well. The Radar Well housed the transmitter and the receiver. The peak power of the transmitter was 80 to 100 KW, the pulse length 3, 5 or 8 microseconds and the pulse recurrence frequency variable between 300 pps and 540 pps. A spark-gap common T and R switch was used. The original frequency was 209 MHz though later equipment used 193 MHz and 200 MHz also.
Continuous tracking of targets and fighters was essential to the interception procedure and the aerial system had to provide gap-free cover. To do this an array consisting of 32 centre-fed full wave dipoles was used, mounted in four stacks each with eight dipoles. A stack of eight dipoles could be used in various combinations. For transmission, the top four dipoles and the bottom four dipoles in each stack could be combined either in phase or in antiphase under the operator's control.
This
achieved overlapping beam positions and provided adequate gap filling. For reception
the dipoles in each stack could be combined in four different ways providing
beams at difference angles of elevation for height finding. Switching between
beams was done automatically or on a pulse-to-pulse basis using a capacity switch
in the feeders. This capacity switch set the pulse recurrence frequency of the
equipment. If other radars were on the same site as a Type 7 radar they had
to accept locking pulses from the Type 7 to synchronize their own pulse recurrence
frequency to the Type 7.
Normally,
for maximum detection range all the dipoles were in phase on reception; the
range at which height finding was possible was necessarily less. The aerial
could be rotated in either direction at any constant speed between 0.5 rpm and
8 rpm. The antennae beam width was 15o although a narrower beam width
and greater range performance was provided for the ROTOR improvement plan by
the addition of more stacks of dipoles on each end of the aerial. The man at
the extreme left hand edge of this antenna gives a good impression of the size
of the later Type 7 antennas.
Performance
Siting of the equipment needed great care. A regular shallow saucer shaped depression gave the best compromise between too much clutter and less accurate height finding. Performance tended to be variable from site to site and from day to day.
Range on a bomber aircraft was typically:
|
Height of |
500 |
1000 |
5000 |
10,000 |
20,000 |
|
Range (Miles) |
10 |
30 |
51 |
67 |
90 |
Height finding accuracy was within +/- 500 ft between angles of elevation of 2.5o and 20o. Bearing accuracy was within +/- 1.5o
("Watching The Skies")
The typical characteristics of the Type 7 were:
|
Peak power: |
80-100 Kw |
|
Pulse length: |
3, 5 or 8 us |
|
P.R.F.: |
300 - 540 pps |
|
Frequency |
209 Mhz (also 193 and 200 MHz on later equipment) |
|
Aerial rotation |
The aerial could be rotated in either direction at any constant speed between 0.5 rpm and 8 rpm. |
|
Aerial beamwidth |
15o |
Radar Type 7 GCI - continued on next page....
